The Knower
by The Perfect Bad Example
Summary: The Fellowship is still traveling on after Moria, headed to Lothlorien, but their journey is then interrupted by a strange visitor. He has an offer that could change the outcome of the Fellowship- but for better, or for worse? As some things are better kept unknown... {rating may change with further chapters}
1. Homesick

{Everything is Tolkien's}

Gandalf's death had shaken the Fellowship to their roots. Just one day before, the Gray Wizard had fallen into the darkness of the dwarf kingdom Moria. Since then, they had attempted to go on nonstop, trying to leave behind their deepening sorrow.

And slowly, the circular golden disc, the sun, sank behind the wonderers.

"Let's stop for the night," said Aragorn, slightly breathless. The rest of the tired Fellowship nodded and muttered in agreement.

Sam and Aragorn then left to gather firewood. Pippin and Merry spread out their cloaks on the ground to use to sleep on. Gimli grunted as he flopped down on a fallen log on the edge of the dark green and black forest. Legolas climbed up a nearby pine and sat crossed-legged on a thick branch, staring out toward the distant, tree-covered hills.

Somewhere out among those hills was Lothilorien, where his kin resided. If only the dwarf wasn't with them as they headed there. Legolas thought as he watched for any sign of movement on the hills.

Below, Frodo had lain out his own tattered cloak next to Merry and Pippin, and was quietly conversing with them as the night darkened around them.

Slowly, the sounds of twigs snapping and leaves shuffling reached the group. The echoes of a quiet conversation came along with it. But they were familiar voices.

Seconds later, Aragorn walked into the temporary encampment. In his arms was a small bundle of twigs, slightly shadowed by thicker, bigger fallen branches.

Sam came stumbling behind him, his pointed ear-tips a bit red and his breath coming in slight pants as he struggled to keep up with the faster, lither ranger. In his own arms he held a smaller bundle of thin twigs. Even despite the lesser weight, Sam's cheeks were red. Probably from struggling to keep up with Aragorn.

Aragorn went to the center of the makeshift camp and set down his bundle, letting the sticks roll out from his arms. Sam copied Aragorn as the ranger went around and collected small stones, which he arranged in a circle.

As Aragorn carried on with the fire, Sam went over to the other hobbits, and sat down beside Frodo, ever so slightly joining into the conversation.

Legolas could slightly hear it from his perch in the dark pine. They spoke quietly of the Green Dragon back in the shire. They talked in whispers of the chants and the songs and the merry and drinks shared.

Even by just listening to their whispering voices, Legolas could tell their every emotion on the subject. It was way too evident in their tones and facial expressions.

_They're homesick_, realized Legolas slowly. Realizing this made him feel ever so slightly not so alone. He had missed his father from day one, but even with that, he wasn't so sure he wanted to go home. He knew in his mind that despite his close elven friends words, that it was his fault that the wretched creature Gollum had escaped the Mirkwood prison. His father had never mentioned it to him, but Legolas was practically a pro at reading facial expressions, and he could see the disappointment in his father's eyes.

But that seemed so long ago, as if it were in another world. Now, he felt as if it wasn't his father that was troubling him, but something else. It was as if he was missing some piece of vital information that could change the course of everything.


	2. Hear That?

Legolas became lost in his thoughts up in his tree. He barely noticed as Aragorn walked up to the bottom of the tree and slowly climbed up.

It was only when Aragorn was two branches below him that he realized his presence. Legolas, though, was not really shocked. Aragorn had been raised by elves, and thus learned how to be just as stealthy as them.

He put his hand up and grabbed onto another branch to lift himself up.

Aragorn proceeded to climb up until he was next to the Mirkwood elf. "Do you ever get lonely?" he asked sarcastically to Legolas.

The elf managed a smile. "Not really. I prefer my own company."

The ranger nodded. As the elf's closest friend, the ranger had a slight idea of why his friend loved the loneliness he despised.

He remembered Elrond telling him something when he was young. There was a patient in the healing rooms whom Elrond had been helping tend to. The patient had seemed fine to Aragorn, all his wounds healed, hardly a white scar left. But the man acted weird. The ranger knew that the man's friend had died. One day, he asked Elrond why the man had not left.

Elrond had told him that the man was troubled by the death of his friend, and it changed him. Death doesn't just leave without leaving a scar, he had said.

The death of someone close can alter you forever, no matter how long ago it was, he thought as he looked at the elf. Suddenly, something changed

"Listen," he said quietly. Legolas, becoming curious, listened closely. Sure enough, something seemed off. The wind had a whisper to it.

"What do you think it is?" asked Legolas.

The ranger shrugged. "No idea. Something of the forest, maybe."

"Maybe," agreed Legolas.

For a while, the two sat in the tree, both staring out into the distant hills that were scattered and speckled with the dark dots that were trees of the distance.

Finally, Aragorn said, "Something seems very wrong."

Legolas nodded in agreement with him. He was about to mention how eerie the quietness was, but he didn't get a chance.

Because it was then the crunching started. It was like someone was purposely stepping on all the dead leaves they could find. Twigs shuffled on the forest floor.

Legolas's mind didn't panic at the sound. Instead, he found himself curios and somewhat ready for a battle.

Legolas and Aragorn hopped down from the tree. They walked over to the group. They were already crowding around the forest, where a dark, eerie black mist was gathering, and growing darker near the center.


	3. Do you want to know?

The Fellowship looked on in horror as the black mist revealed a figure. They had no idea who it was, not one of them even had a clue.

Except for one. Legolas knew him. Vaguely. Distant in his memories, he thought he had seen him before.

Finally the figure was clear. They were faceless, and cloaked in all black. Their hands were coated in armor. Each finger was tipped in a spike.

In a dark, deep, whispery voice, the reaper said, "I am Ptynnoril. The Knower."

Aragorn stepped forward, "Knower?"

He breathed in a ragged breath, "I know all. Ask anything," he spread his arms.

The former ranger glared at Ptynnoril. "Will Sauron fall?" he asked.

Ptynnoril tilted his head. "That depends," he said. "Many paths. Many paths. Which one will you take? Which one will Sauron take? All of this may change. It just depends."

"On what?" asked Aragorn, "What does it depend on?"

"On what decisions you make. On what decisions Sauron makes." Slowly, the Knower looked at each of the members. "I have a toll," he said, "I can show each of you something you vitally need," he looked at Legolas at these words, then back to Aragorn, "All you have to do is pay my toll."

"And the toll is...?"

"I see your memories. I don't steal them. I don't alter them. I just see them as if they were my memories."

Aragorn looked at Ptynnoril suspiciously. "Why memories?"

"With your memories, I can decipher what your response will be to any event based on your previous thoughts and actions. I can compare those with others," he looked at Aragorn, "Including Sauron's to tell you something that could either save you," his eyes went to Frodo, "Or cause your demise," he looked at Legolas.

Aragorn pursed his lips, staring intently at the Knower. "I will," he said.

Frodo then said, "I will."

Sam said, "If Frodo says so, then so will I."

Merry and Pippin said at the same time, "We will."

Boromir said, "Why not?"

Gimli said, "Let me have a go!"

Legolas just nodded at the Knower.

Ptynnoril looked at Aragorn. "You would like to go first." It was no question, but a statement. Maybe he knew that Aragorn was like the leader of the group. Maybe he just knew that Aragorn would go first no matter what. After all, he was the Knower.

Aragorn stayed still. The Knower reached out this hand. Aragorn slowly reached out his own hand until it almost touched the Knower's. He then hesitated. As if it were in slow motion, he closed the gap.

As soon as he did, Aragorn gasped.

Two seconds later, the heir of Gondor stumbled backward. He looked at the Knower in awe as he breathed in gulping breaths.

"Are you alright, Lad," asked Gimli in his rough voice.

Aragorn was staring at the visitor in something between awe, shock, and terror. He nodded in response to the dwarf as he stumbled back into the rank of the Fellowship.

Ptynnoril looked next at Frodo. He held out his armored hand just like he had with Aragorn. Frodo reached out and touched it. Like Aragorn, he didn't even breathe for two seconds. And then he stumbled back, staring at Ptynnoril.

The same happened to Samwise, then to Merry, and then Pippin. Next Boromir copied them, and then Gimli.

Now all that was left was Legolas. And he was suddenly regretting his decision as he watched the hooded, faceless figure face him, and slowly, eerily lift his armored hand out in his direction.


	4. The Answer

Legolas took a moment to stare at the figure. His hand was held out toward him, not moving. The fingers were slightly curled at the end, showing he was somewhat relaxed.

The elf knew that by now, there was no chance he could back out, not without looking like he was scared. If he did that, he knew the dwarf would then have a thousand things more to make his life miserable.

So slowly, he took a step forward until he was close enough to touch the armored hand. For some reason, he found himself extremely hesitant. What, exactly, would the stranger show him? His father? Mirkwood? A secret about the armies of Mordor?

What?

Legolas knew that the only way to find out was to touch the stranger's armored hand. His curiosity won.

Slowly, he reached out and touched the armored hand. The armor was as cold as a winter midnight. Nothing happened at first.

And then suddenly the scenery around him changed until he was in a darker forest with a misty ground. He stood in the clearing, looking at the figure across from him.

It was the Knower still. But he was on the opposite side of the clearing. Strangely enough, a few pale flowers were sprouted beside him.

Legolas waited, but the figure at first did nothing. But, surely by now, his two seconds must be up. He was about to open his mouth to ask the figure why he was keeping him longer than the others, but the stranger beat him to it.

"Do not stress," it said in a deep, silky echoing voice that sounded from all sides of the clearing, "We are no longer in the waking world." Confused, Legolas stared at the figure. Again the voice then sounded, "The time here moves differently. Let no worry of lateness trouble you, for I have already had long conversations with your company."

The elf stared at the figure. Time… differently? Was that even remotely possible? Finally, he found his voice long enough to ask, "Where are we?"

The reaper-like figure responded in a tone like it should have been obvious, "Why, we are here, of course!"

Legolas then glared at the figure. What was he playing at? Deciding that there was no other option, the elf decided to play along. "And where, exactly, is here?" Legolas asked the figure.

On the opposite side of the clearing, the figure shook his head. "Somewhere forgotten," the voice echoed, in a hopeless tone.

Now the elf was getting annoyed. "And where are we," he asked, rephrasing his last question, "In the forgotten place?"

The figure on the other side was still shaking his head. "Lost," he responded, "We are lost, in this forgotten place."

Legolas sighed, realizing he probably wasn't going to get a response that was worth anything out of the mindless reaper. But that didn't stop him from trying, "And just how lost are we?"

The reaper-like figure stopped shaking his head. "Very lost. Unmistakably lost." Then the figure suddenly tilted his head at Legolas. "You are very inquisitive, are you not?" asked the figure. Continuing, he said, "The others were mostly concerned about what I was to tell them, and yet you raid my knowing of our setting."

The elf didn't move on the other side of the small field, knowing that the figure was to continue.

Sure enough, he did. "You ask me of where we are, and I tell you over and over again, this is forgotten. The ranger pressed on a second time, and I told him we were lost, but not did he ask a third time," the figure tilted his head. "You are exquisite. Very different."

And then suddenly, he changed the conversation. "Say, are the flowers not in full bloom in the outside world?"

For a moment, Legolas was thrown off. The flowers? He looked down at the feet of the figure. The flowers were still there, still in full bloom. Then the trick registered in his mind.

"No," he said to the figure, "The flowers have just begun to open their petals. None yet are in bloom."

If the figure had a face, Legolas was sure it would have been smiling. "Very good. The dwarf fell for my trick, no surprise." Then the figure stopped again, and looked around. "Say, what tree is to the north?"

To the north? Legolas thought for a moment. Maples. Those were in the north. He was about to open his mouth to answer when he stopped.

What tree is to the north?

What tree is to the north _of him_?

Legolas looked behind the figure. "Willow," he called out to the reaper.

The reaper nodded. "The hobbit, surprising, fell for that one."

Legolas didn't respond, but waited. The reaper said nothing though. But then he tilted his head once more. "If you were to have one of companions gone, who would it be?"

Gone? The dwarf, surely. But why would the reaper ask him this? "Why ask me?" Legolas called. "I thought you had my memories!"

The reaper nodded. "I do, but there is a difference between what can be learned by thought and memory, and what can be learned from a direct question."

Legolas drew in a breath. "The dwarf," he answered, "Gimli."

The figure nodded. "I would think." He moved his head back to a normal position. "Are you sure it wouldn't be the ranger? He seems to have taken over operations."

Aragorn? Why would Legolas want him gone… Then the answer dawned on him. "No," he told the figure, "I don't care for leading the group."

The reaper nodded. "That is all," he said. "Now, do you still want your piece of information?"

Legolas nodded. "Yes."

"Very well," said the strange figure. He lowered his head and reached out his left arm, fingers still half-way curled in toward his palm. Legolas waited anxiously on the other side of the clearing, wondering what the stranger would tell him. The figure then started to mutter strange things. And then the voice started again, echoing around the clearing in the same deep, dark tone. At the words, Legolas's heart started to pound.

"Your sister… she is not dead."


	5. Tempted Not to Believe

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I never really thought of how to continue this.

…

Legolas stared at the figure, not sure how to respond. In the back of his mind, he was tempted not to believe the figure. It was true that he hadn't seen his sister die, but that was no proof she was alive.

The figure seemed to sense that he didn't believe him. So he spoke in the strange voice, "Did you see your sister die?" asked he.

Legolas shook his head. "No," he answered.

"Did you see her dead body?" asked the figure.

Once again, Legolas had no other answer than, "No."

The figure then said, "Then why are you certain she is dead?"

Legolas had no answer. Why did he believe his sister was dead? There was no other proof than the words of Thranduil and Ecthaylion, his most trusted guard.

So what had made the decision that his sister was dead?

_Maybe there were just things that had no answers_, he thought.

"Go now," the voice said, "And think through this information carefully."

With that the meadow and forest began to fade. Legolas began to panic. "Wait!" he called, "Where is she?" But it was too late, as darkness had come over his eyes.


	6. Why so Certain?

The world came back into view quickly, as if he had just blinked. The figure was lowering his hand, and the fog was clogging around him. He drew in one raspy breath before the dark fog completely covered him, and then dispersed once more, no figure left standing in the place.

Legolas took a step back. He was still running through what he had been told. His sister was alive? Mentally, he shook his head. It felt possible in the misty meadow, but now that he had left there, it didn't seem possible at all.

Not a chance, he laughed in his head. With that he turned around, but then his mind stopped, and his blood ran cold.

Why so certain?

The voice of the strange figure came around from all directions again. He looked around suspiciously for the black shrouded, faceless figure. But strangely, he wasn't anywhere in sight. He turned back to the group, who had wondered already back to the makeshift camp.

Legolas walked over, out of the dark coverings of the woods. Aragorn was standing up, looking at each member of the fellowship, who had for the most part gone back to their places. "We need to discuss what he told each of us," The self-elected leader said, "It might be important."

The elf walked back over to his tree, but this time climbed onto the lowest branch and waited.

The dwarf then said from the log he was sitting on, "Then you speak first," he said.

Aragorn nodded. "I was told that my place in the fellowship would constantly change."

Frodo spoke next. "He said that my life will not end in Hobbiton, or anywhere near Bag End."

Sam then said, "He told me that my path leads away from the main one that seven others follow."

Merry said then, "He told me that someone close will cause a terrible uproar."

Pippin then spoke, "He said to me that I will cause a large problem over a small thing."

Boromir then said, "He told me that my fate redirects itself two times, but fades on the third."

Gimli said lastly of them, "He told me I would find a hardship in a silver place, and an ally in a close enemy."

All eyes then went to Legolas. He felt their gaze on him. To be honest, he thought they were all waiting to hear something about Gandalf. He hated to tell them that he had heard nothing of the Gray Wizard, only a false fact.

Why so certain?

There was that voice again. Saying the same three words. Why so certain? What if his sister was really alive and well? It sounded like the Knower had spoken in riddles to the others, and given a direct answer to him alone.

"Well," said Aragorn impatiently, "What did he say to you?"

For a moment, Legolas was silent. Finally, he said, "My sister- he told me she wasn't dead."


End file.
